Injuries

[indespair]

I have been trying to play bartok's allegro barbaro and may have caused tendonitis in my right arm from playing the second page with too much force, or i don't know, maybe a stressful, inefficient technique. I desperately need some help regarding how to get over the injuries and retraining with an efficient relaxed technique.

Besides, any general advice regarding techniques for playing octaves or other difficult movements or dealing with injury are also welcome.

I would also like to know what you think of this article: https://pianomap.com/injuries/why.html

[starstruck5]

I imagine complete rest for a spell would help. Hope it isn't a permenant injury also -so medical advice might be useful -

If the medical people or time heals your injury, then find a really good teacher who specialises in some kind of piano school -and can teach how to play with the correct gravity and force -without hurting or starining your tendons.

[elenka]

I had some problem with tendons... I used for a month a gel with extract of Devil's Claw and is the best solution to heal tendonits together with a little bit of rest from high and frequent training

[keyboardclass]

I would also like to know what you think of this article: https://pianomap.com/injuries/why.html

Good article.  I wouldn't practice the Bartok at the given dynamic.  Forget dynamics till you've learnt it.

[gregorygainsborough]

So - I've had repetitive stress injuries on and off for years. I'll tell you the one thing that really has worked for me to deal with them: Alexander Technique.

I'm not sure if your injury is a one-time deal. If it is, probably just time away from the instrument to rest, and coming back in with a more relaxed approach (probably a less strenuous piece) is ok. But if the pain or weakness is chronic, you really need to reinvent your approach. Alexander Technique essentially teaches you to re-map your neuromuscular system to achieve this.

Hope that provides a ray of hope. It's made a big difference for me.

[candlelightpiano]

Rest is vital but you can also practice this relaxation technique that Megadodd taught us in the Consolation No 3 Project.  Click on the link below and scroll down to reply #42.  Megadodd describes in detail how to perform his relaxation exercise.  It helped me a lot and I still do it everyday:

https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php?topic=45007.0